While the many aliases of Dutch artist Bas Bron have been wide–ranging, this year has seen his 2004 sleeper What’s A Girl To Do find prominence in the record bags of DJs all over the world. Helped by a re-release on Amsterdam’s Dekmantel imprint, the playful electro tune was everywhere and drew attention towards the seasoned producer. He has followed up this success with the release of an album and Imaginary Lines explores the boundaries of his spacey, electro sound.

 
While the album veers between disco, electro-funk and the more leftfield elements of electronic music, the atmosphere surges between dancefloor stompers and spaced out ambient music. Borderless sees Bron use a selection of synthesizers and squelchy drum patterns that blend to create meticulously layered rhythms that have a similar vibe to some of Todd Terje’s grooviest numbers. Having set a slow but building pace with a carefully constructed groove, Love Invaders ramps up the heat with its sultry four to the floor beat, aided by funky synths and a catchy falsetto vocal sample, the most dancefloor ready track on the album turns up the trippy towards the end as the Moog riffs into a frenzied conclusion.
 
Almost to quell the excitement of the first few tunes, the album takes a more introspective tack and the blurring of melodies and soft rhythms embolden the concept of Imaginary Lines, with various unerring rhythm patterns blending seamlessly together with soft kick drums to establish a floating, dreamy ambience.
 
Bron’s wide-ranging talents contain an eclectic ability to dissect elements of techno, pop and funk to create and re-assemble them as a catchy yet groovy entity. While performing under the moniker of Bastian, Bron reached the Dutch Top 20 with 2001 hit You’ve Got My Love but has clearly added a lot to his musical CV in that 14 year period. His evident mastery of the electronic instruments he exhibits a dedication to music-making which transcends genres. Comparisons could be made to everyone from Empire of the Sun to Chromeo yet it has taken this producer and DJ 14 years for the paradoxical mainstream of underground dance music to sit up and take notice.
 
While it is clear to see from the album that Bron does not focus too heavily on dance-centric tunes, his luxurious style of electronic music seems most poignant when it has some sort of direction, as an accompanying soundtrack to a drive on the inter-galactic highway rather than the eerie beatless, experimentalism showcased towards the end of the album. Although tracks like Night Crossing and Imaginary Lines could provide a brilliant score to some sort of human-alien contact in a movie scene (think Close Encounters of a Third Kind kind of vibe) they only seem like expansive fillers when compared to the gliding, pillowy serenity of Sazak Bay. In a similar but more mellow vein to Only of the Universe, Sazak Bay is both upbeat yet exceedingly chilled out, with a hazy feel fuelled by what sounds like electro tinged steel drums. This track would be perfect for an afterparty or taking in a sunrise with its gradual building warmth and genuine positivity, perfectly encapsulating the journey that this album takes you on.
Ali Hares